Colin made her Broadway debut playing Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie, a performance that earned her a Theatre World Award. She returned to Broadway in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg and played Katherine Markham in the 2007 revival of Old Acquaintance.
Off-Broadway credits include Portrayal, Triptych, Temporary Help, Psychopathia Sexualis, Sight Unseen and The Aristocrats,. She received a Drama Desk Award nomination for the latter.
Her many film roles include "First Daughter," "Unfaithful," "Blue Car," "The Adventures of Sebastian Cole," "The Devil’s Own," "Independence Day," "The Butcher’s Wife," "Something Wild," "Like Father Like Son," "Three Men and a Baby" and "True Believer." She currently plays the role of Eleanor Waldorf on "Gossip Girl."
| Full given name: | Margaret Mary Colin |
| Hometown: | Brooklyn, but raised in Long Island. |
| Zodiac Sign: | Gemini |
| Skill/talent you wish you had or were better at: | I wish I could sing! |
| First Broadway show you ever saw: | A Chorus Line with my mom, and we both loved it. But I can remember my mom's reaction when they said "sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!" |
| If you could go back in time and catch any Broadway show, what would it be? | I would have liked to see the Lunts perform in person. And Laurence Olivier. |
| Current show you have been recommending to friends: | Love, Loss and What I Wore of course! |
| Some favorite musicals: | West Side Story and A Little Night Music |
| Performers you would drop everything to go see: | Beth Fowler, Eddie Izzard and Al Pacino |
| The one performance - attended - that you will never forget: | Seeing my husband Justin Deas in The Tempest at Hartford Stage. |
| MAC or PC: | PC |
| Most-visited websites: | YouTube 8 Minute Abs |
| Last good movie you saw: | "The Social Network" |
| Must-see TV show: | "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" "NY Jets football" "Modern Family" "The Colbert Report" |
| Favorite sport or athlete: | New York Jets, Mark Sanchez. |
| Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: | Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be an actress. |
| Favorite post-show meal: | Tuna sandwich on rye. |
| Pre-performance rituals or warm-ups: | Must take a nap in between shows on a 2-show day.
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| Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap: | At the top of the John Patrick Shanley play, Psychopathia Sexualis, I entered in the dark to the tune of "I've got a brand new pair of roller skates..." Someone had moved the glow tape on the chair I am to pull out and sit on. So I pull out the chair and sit flat down on my butt, yelling out my favorite curse word (F**k!) very loudly in the dark! I crawled off stage to the wings to check to see if my tail bone was broken. When I was sure I could move, we started the play from the start. I found the seat this time and landed on it in a seated position. When the lights came up, the audience at Manhattan Theatre club roared and clapped, and we began the play. Ouch! I always checked the glow tape and the positioning of the chair after that. |
| Worst costume ever: | The wedding dress in Jackie. The zipper was always broken. |
| Worst job you've ever had: | When I was a teenager, I was hired at Christmastime to work in the shoe department at Macy's. No one taught me the storage system for the shoes so, when I had to go get a customer a size, I just stood in the storage room for a reasonable amount of time, then came out and told them we did not have it in stock. Hah! |
| Who have you played on "Law & Order"? Which edition? | "Mary Markson" on the main series (2010) "Dr. Eloise Barnes" on "Criminal Intent" (2004) "Mrs. Krug" on "SVU" (2003) |
| Some favorite film/TV gigs: | "Gossip Girl" "The Devil's Own" "Unfaithful" "Independence Day" |
| Leading lady role you've been dying to play: | Mame. Better get going on those singing lessons. |
| Leading man role you wish you could play: | Anything from Shakespeare |
| Career you'd have if you weren't a performer: | I have no idea! At this point, who would have me? I have been doing this for over 30 years. So maybe a professional traveler... although with all of the waiting at airports and holding shoes in my hand and boarding pass in my mouth, I might get fired. |
| Three things you can't live without: | Cooking, working in the yard and staring at my two gorgeous sons. |
| Something about you that surprises people: | That I clip coupons!! |
